People!

Thank you for all the kudos and comments on the last chapters.

IT'S CHANGED (SNILY)
CHAPTER 38 Chocolate

They all sat in silence for a while and no one said a thing. It was all after Severus told them the things he found out about the place where the next horcrux could be hidden from April. Lily added to the information from time to time, of course.

Charm recovered first. "So… don't you think the Slytherin locket would be there?"

Selene nodded, distractedly. "I believe so… isn't that the only one left after Nagini"

"And after You-Know-How himself" Shane added.

"Yes, but that is something Dumbledore will take care of" Austin reasoned.

They all nodded.

"Now, about the locket…" Severus mused. "We need Bennet's laptop again"

Selene groaned. "Not again"

He smirked. "You are the one, he would get that for… so be prepared to be the flirtatious one, Selene"

"All sorts of things I have to do even after getting engaged"

Shane winked. "Sure thing"

"I hate it" she crossed her arms on her chest.

"What?"

She huffed. "That you aren't jealous" she hissed.

Shane laughed and kissed her. "You wouldn't be if you were at my place"

"Whatever…"

Austin spoke. "For this, the locket, I mean… we would have to wait until another of the holiday weeks"

"The Easter break" Lily suggested.

He hummed. "That's right. We have time that means"

"We have but Severus doesn't" Charm gave Severus a pointed look.

"What's happening to me?" he frowned.

She snorted. "The most important thing for now… you are in the Triwizard Tournament, so, for Merlin's sake get some clues for that egg"

Severus' eyes jerked at her. The Yule Ball and then the small vacation was so relaxing and satisfying that he had totally forgotten about that. Though, he had to pretend that he'd been doing the research or else his friends would worry too much about that.

"I have a few guesses… but I'll soon be clear. I wasn't able to run some spells on it because we were at our homes. At the school it would all be fine" he made a stupid excuse.

Lily narrowed her eyes. "When did you researched on that egg?"

He swallowed. He had almost forgotten about Lily. "I did, when you were busy with… I don't know what you were busy with"

"I was in front of you, all time, for the entire day… I don't remember getting busy"

He jerked his hands in the air, faking exasperation. "I don't know, Lils… I have just researched"

None of them looked convinced but they all nodded.

"We have too much work to do reaching school again" Shane shook his head, making a mental list.

"When are you meeting Dumbledore, Austin?" Selene asked.

Austin shrugged. "Just in a day or two…"

"We have to meet him too, Selene!" Shane practically yelled; his face twisted in internal anxiety.

Selene pressed her palms on her ears. "No yelling, Shane! And I know, we have to meet him, I sent him a… letter"

"You did?"

She nodded. "Also, to Madam Pomphrey"

"Oh… so, you have a bit of work" Shane sighed and leaned on Selene a bit, seeming relieved.

"Obviously, silly" Selene rolled her eyes. "You can stress yourself a little less"

"I am not stressed" he rubbed his eyes. "Just worried"

She snorted. "The point, Singh! It's just the start of the pregnancy, for Merlin's sake! Save some of that energy for later"

"And the delivery" he stated casually.

That made Selene freeze and the others watched her in amusement. She looked positively terrified. Perhaps, the thought of delivery hadn't crossed her mind yet. Her hands instantly wrapped around her torso, intuitively.

"I-I hadn't thought about that" she stuttered. It was weird listening Selene stutter.

Shane took her hands in his and made her lean on him. "It will all be alright… perhaps"

"Perhaps!?" she screeched and tears filled her eyes. Her mood swings were peaking again. "Have you any idea about that?! I must have never agreed to do this! Must not have taken the risk in the first place and aborted… Why did I listen to you? Don't I know that you make the most foolish decisions?!"

Shane relatively looked way calmer. He kept smiling and lacing his fingers in her hair. "I still say it would all be fine… I know you"

"I am not Merlin, Shane!" she said angrily, jerking her face up.

He laid her head on his shoulder again. "I know. But don't you think that Selene Solace has the strength"

"Shane!"

"Shush, Selene… close your eyes… Good. Now, take ten deep breaths… with me" he kept finger on his lips then, gesturing everyone present to not speak. And after a while the compartment was so silent that the only voice heard was of Selene breathing evenly.

Severus was looking at Shane in awe. He was a freaking genius! Calming Selene's mood swings was a task equal to impossible and he knew it.

"How do you do that?" he breathed.

Shane looked up at him and winked. "I was stupid enough to bring the wrong topic up to aggravate her, then, it's my task to calm that storm"

"You are brilliant" Charm whispered, remembering one of her encounters with one of Selene's worst mood swings.

She had angered her so bad Selene's magic was flowing in the air destroying almost everything that came in its way. That had terrified Charm so bad that she had to Stupify Selene and wait till Shane came back. He had given her a warning glance for stunning Selene when it could have been harmful.

"We just don't go on Stupifying everyone who come in our way, Charm" Shane was still pissed off by the incident.

"I said I am sorry for that"

"And I said I forgave you, which doesn't mean you weren't impulsive"

Charm simply bowed her head. What could have she said to that? He was correct, and she knew it.

"We need to get more information about the sea side cave where we expect You-Know-How to have hidden the locket" Lily changed the topic.

"Yes… but then… again the library" Austin groaned.

Severus banged his head on the back of his seat. "Now, I am bored of that too"

"Then, we can simply take that out of the Slytherin Common Room" Charm suggested whisperingly.

Severus' eyes jerked to her. "Sure! Regulus would know something, perhaps"

"Hmm… good idea, Charm" Shane praised, making her frown. Did the soon-to-be-Dads have mood swings too?

The rest of the trip went away in yawning and drowsing on their friends' shoulders. Who was enthusiastic about the school now? Yeah, no one other than Charm. She was going to meet Elias after a long time, finally.

Severus and Lily couldn't share a bed now, nor would they be able to be around each other the entire day like in the holidays. They just hoped to find some time for only themselves… without their friends to keep an eye on them.

Shane and Selene's situation was even worse. They needed each other the entire time. Pregnancy was taking a lot out of them. They just hoped Dumbledore doesn't kick them out of the school for that. Such cases were becoming rare because of newly discovered or invented contraceptive spells, but Shane and Selene, getting too in the mood, didn't use any of them.

Austin was cool about the school but meeting Marlene was a tad harder for him because of them being in different houses. Even though the relations between Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs weren't that bad, Austin felt like it was just easier for them to meet any time in the holidays. Though the second-floor was still his hiding spot… with Marlene, of course.

They all sighed. Lily rested her head on Severus' shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her waist, lacing his fingers in hers and resting his own head on the window.

Charm leaned back on the seat, feeling more and more restless to arrive at the station. Austin simply got up and left the compartment, obviously, going to search if Marlene is free for him.

Shane was fiddling with Selene's hair, silently, feeling every breath of her in himself, while she kept sleeping in his arms. He was sure that she'd feel restless at night now, but couldn't bring himself to wake her peaceful-self up.

And this was the way they woke up after a few hours.

*Page Break*

"Severus! Lily!" they heard a shout and turned to see Sirius' grinning face, with Remus' shy one. Sirius was holding his hand tightly and dragging him towards them.

"Sirius, hi" Severus and Lily muttered.

"You know we both are together!" Sirius exclaimed, excitedly as Remus seemed to wish for an immediate death from the embarrassment his boyfriend was putting him in.

Lily and Severus rolled their eyes and smirked. "Of course, we do… and you also wrote the letter remember, Sirius…?" his eyes twinkled mischievously.

Sirius reddened and Remus sharply turned to look directly into his eyes. "You wrote a letter to Severus?"

"I-I… Yes, so, what is wrong in that?" Sirius stammered.

Remus seemed about to say something, but Lily cut him. "Of course, nothing wrong, Sirius. Remus wrote it too, didn't you, Remus?" she batted her eyelids innocently.

Remus flushed red. "I-I…"

Sirius smirked broadly. "You wrote a letter, Remus!"

"There's nothing wrong!" he looked away, making Lily and Severus chuckle.

"Well, if we keep the letter aside… I and Lily already knew about you both" Severus gave himself a smug pat on the back, internally.

Both Remus and Sirius gasped. "You do? How?"

Lily folded her arms on her chest and sighed. "You both were acting idiotic in the Yule Ball… we saw all of the it from when Sirius started wrapping his feather-boa both of your necks till, you both rolling behind the pillar to snog, each other senseless"

With each word Sirius and Remus's face turned a shade redder. They bowed their heads to escape from the embarrassment.

"And the descriptions in the letter were quite amusing too" Severus stated, looking highly entertained.

"Yeah… now, you both aren't going to tease us on that, are you" Remus whispered.

"Who knows?" Lily was having full fun.

Severus came to their rescue. "Now, let's go in the Great Hall because we don't have any facility of a flying carpet that takes you from the Entrance Hall to the Great Hall" he drawled, almost leaning to kiss Lily good-bye before he heard another yell.

"Lily!" James Potter came panting.

"She isn't running anywhere, James!" Mary emerged from behind him.

"Yeah, but I also didn't see her in the common room after the Yule Ball, so, I don't when she'll disappear next"

Severus instinctively moved a little ahead of Lily. He didn't want James to kiss her back, even though he knew he was with Mary now.

Lily rolled her eyes. "What is it, James?"

He straightened and smiled, that seemed like and apologetic smile. "You remember the day?"

"What day?" she asked impatiently.

James looked around, seeming uncomfortable. "The day I k-kissed you"

"Oh… Yes, I do"

"So, I am sorry for that"

Lily raised her eyebrow, scornfully. So, much like Severus. He was terribly rubbing off her. "You must be"

"I truly am, Lily, please, forgive me" he pleaded.

"Why would you even do so, in the first place… if you already fancied Mary"

James' eyes grew wider. "How do you know that-? Did Moony or Padfoot mention it in their letters?" he glared at them.

Sirius and Remus shook their heads vigorously.

"They did not. It was… I-I saw you both in the Great Hall while the Yule Ball"

"But you weren't there, when we searched for you?" Mary frowned.

Lily nodded. "Yes, because I had left with…" she looked up at Severus.

She was asking him for permission, for making their relationship public. Severus rolled his eyes and bent down to give her a little peck, just enough for others to know the change. She smiled while the others gasped.

He gave her a small smile before turning to others. "With me" he completed her sentence.

"You both are together?" James breathed.

Lily shrugged and kissed Severus with more passion this time, that he had to hold her waist to steady himself. "That gives it out, didn't it?"

"Well… WOW!" Sirius yelled.

"Shush, Sirius" Remus smacked him lightly on his buttocks, making him flush deep red. "By the way, I always knew this would happen" he smiled at Lily and Severus.

"I knew that too" Mary spoke from the back and rolled her eyes. "Come on, now, Lily and Severus were so very evident"

"We were?" Lily and Severus spoke together.

"Totally" another voice came from the back, making them all turn. It was Charm.

"Charm…" they all drawled.

She made room for herself in the small circle. "Otherwise, I had a tiny crush on Severus too" she shrugged as the others jaws dropped.

Severus blinked a few times. "Y-You fancied me?"

"Yes" she stated, casually. "It's not that difficult. A girl from the third-year had too"

"What? Then why the fuck was I waiting for Lily? I thought she was the only girl- person who could tolerate me"

That earned him a louder smack then Remus gave Sirius, on the buttocks by Lily, making him wince and then, turned red.

"Obviously, because I love her" he added, resisting the urge to rub his stinging backside. He didn't know Lily was so hard.

Lily winked at that and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I believe you so immensely"

"I am sorry again, Lily" James brought back the topic.

"Apology accepted, James"

He grinned broadly, took Mary's arm and they both walked in the Great Hall together leaving the others still standing there.

They all were just about to start moving when they heard another shout. Why did the shouts had to be so consequent? "CHARM!"

They all parted enough to make way for the new shouter. The golden-brown hair and unusually violet eyes came into view. They all slumped. Elias Amedee. He irritated the crap out of everyone, but then, he had the thing to please Charm.

Elias grinned broadly as Charm ran close to him. She looked into his eyes, with intensity that would have burned his soul off. Her fingers touching his skin on the neck gave him shivers as she kept her hand on the side of his neck. She rose to her toes and their lips met.

Elias was no less. He immediately pulled her closer and opened his mouth, hinting her to enter. The sounds of smooching were almost nauseating for the others but Charm and Elias remained oblivious to their presence.

They parted just to start again with moans. The others looked away. They were so incessant. They didn't even come back to the Great Hall or to their dormitories to sleep for the rest of the night.

"We must leave, I suppose" Severus hissed.

"Surely, we must" Lily agreed, giving him a last kiss before leaving to the Gryffindor table.

Remus and Sirius looked at one another, then at Charm and Elias and then at Severus before deciding to leave to follow Lily.

*Page Break*

Severus walked to the Slytherin table, to sit beside Selene. She seemed bored and well… a little stressed. "And I thought, you wouldn't be here"

"I am. Shane wouldn't let me go to bed without having something in my stomach that doesn't want anything for now"

Before Severus could say anything, Dumbledore was speaking. In between of the feast? There was never an announcement in between of the feast. Perhaps, he just remembered it wanted to speak it out before he forgot about it.

"Students" he spoke. "I apologize to disturb the feast but I have gotten a sudden problem and a notice of it just now"

The chatter about an anticipated problem in the running of the Triwizard Tournament began among groups in the Hall. Everyone's eyes at least once flickered to Severus, Fin or James, who kept sitting with their faces creased with questions at their respected Headmasters.

Elias was of course, not here. Some eyes of the Beauxbatons searched for him but he wasn't seen. What if an announcement was to be made and one of the champions were missing? The other champions eyes were fixed at Dumbledore while the other students even began spreading rumors.

"What do you think it is about?" Selene whispered.

"How am I supposed to know?"

It wasn't Selene who replied, but a familiar voice spoke. "The most trending topic is the Triwizard Tournament. Must be about that" Barty Crouch Jr.

He looked Severus directly in the eye, as if peeking inside his soul, making Severus feel extremely uncomfortable. He nodded and instantly looked away. He hadn't talked to Crouch Jr. in months… or perhaps, years.

"Students please, calm down" Dumbledore addressed them once more. "This announcement is not about the Triwizard Tournament. That is running well, as per our efforts"

That crushed Severus' wishes while the faces of others brightened.

"It's about the academics of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" Dumbledore announced and the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, suddenly left all the excitement in the speech, going back to their meal.

"Our Professor Raquel wouldn't be able to teach for a while because of some health issues"

A knowing wave of voices and nods ran down the Hall, while Severus frowned and tapped Selene's shoulder. "I don't know about what happened to him… while the others seem to know"

She sighed and turned to face him. "He had gotten up from the table and left the Great Hall just before you came here"

"Left the Hall? Why? Did he look sick?"

"Why are you so interested?"

"Just asking, Selene. You know, he seems suspicious to me"

"I do. He didn't look sick but he seemed suffocated or soothing like that. It seemed like a shadow was siting over his head, not making him look so clear… even in this amount of light"

"Shadow?"

"Now, when I think about it… he did look a little suspicious, more than I have seen him before"

Their head turned to the Head table as Dumbledore began again. "So, students, in lack of any new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, I to the two older years and the other teachers by turn would be giving classes to the younger years for almost a week.

"Professor Raquel will be back as soon as his health is perfect again to come among us. Until then I hope you all enjoy your classes with your other teachers and obey them. Now, you all may begun the feast again. Thank you for stopping the meal, the old man could forget things if not revised immediately"

And the feast began again.

"Raquel was always up to something"

Selene nodded in agreement before slumping down.

"Don't you have to eat?"

"I don't want to"

"Shane would make you"

"Let him make me"

"Well, he is staring at you"

"I know… he's been doing that for long"

"Then at least start eating something, Selene… you ask me to not stay scrawny while doing it yourself"

Selene glared at him. "Don't be stupid. I can't stay in shape even if I want. I am pregnant, Severus!"

"I wasn't refereeing to that" he cowed. Why did he offend her every single time?

"Then you aren't even facing the morning sickness, Severus!"

"I know… but there would be medications for it" he wasn't being insensitive, instead, he was genuinely confused about the entire thing.

She narrowed her eyes. "I hope you and Lily have unprotected sex and you get pregnant"

Severus reddened. "H-How would I?" having unprotected sex didn't seem like a bad idea though. He flushed further on the thought. He had only touched Lily… not yet seen her.

"I. Don't. Know. Magic, perhaps!" she huffed and looked away from him, as if it was his face that was making her irritated of life.

"I am sorry?" he was so unsure.

She sharply turned to him. "Fine"

He searched in his cloak… then the robes and grinned. "Chocolate, Selene"

She grinned and snatched it from him. How immediately could her mood change? Something faster than light in the world was the pace of change of Selene's emotions. "Are you becoming the new Remus Lupin"

"Nah-" he paused as he noticed Shane's glaring face at him, from across two tables. He motioned for him to take the chocolate bar from Selene's hand. Severus groaned. That wasn't easy.

Selene was still opening the wrapper when Severus put all of his courage in his fingers and snatched it from her making her shriek.

"Sorry" he said absentmindedly, looking at Shane for the next hint.

Shane made a few gestures that were more confusing than anything. So, he huffed in exasperation, got up from the Ravenclaw table and walked to the Slytherin table.

"Shane- what?" Selene blinked as he snatched the chocolate bar from Severus' hands.

"You aren't getting it all" Shane muttered, breaking it into half and thrusting it into her hands.

"Only half?" her eyes filled with tears. "I wanted more" she sniffled.

Shane's eyes remained blank, though. "Just take that, or I'll even snatch that"

"Fine. Go and never talk to me again" she looked away from him.

Severus' head was moving to and fro, from Shane to Selene. Merlin, when he thought Shane would be a cool father, he showed his strict side.

Shane seemed to be resisting himself from going and hugging her. He turned to Severus and was about to give him the other half of the chocolate but then pocketed it himself.

"I don't expect you to not fall for this" Shane sighed and gestured at Selene's falling tears. Severus froze. He didn't think that not having a chocolate would make her that upset.

"I-I… Shouldn't you, give that to her" he tried weakly.

Shane shook his head, firmly. "No" he turned to Selene. "Selene, please have something… else, you'd get sick"

She looked up at him, through tears and stood up. She left the table and ran to her dormitory, but not before saying. "Why do you care?"

Severus gasped. That ought to have hurt. He turned to Shane, who simply shook his head, and walked back to the Ravenclaw table. He seemed extremely troubled by Selene's tearful sessions. He didn't know how to get them under control. He simply didn't know anything and that frustrated him. How would he go on for the rest of the months like this? He felt like a disappointment.

Severus, on the other hand, couldn't have done anything to help them. He took the half chocolate that Selene had left there and took a bite. Dark and rich. At least this was one of the right things happening.

Though, another thing Severus noticed was that Afroze's eyes had followed Selene's path from the table to the exit door. Severus frowned. What was the meaning of that? Was Afroze after Selene? Was had everything to happen after Shane and Selene were engaged? He hoped Afroze to get over Selene, because he was getting her… at least not in this birth.

*Page Break*

She had cried herself to sleep and now, had gotten up searching for Shane. She went restless for him. She wanted him so bad. What if he was really hurt by what she had said? What he never came back to her? The vile thoughts moved her to tears again and if she wouldn't see him soon, she would go hysterical.

She ran down to the common room that was deserted. Had everyone left her? She couldn't stay without them all. She sobbed and staggered before the fire place.

Her hand reached for the floo powder that she threw in the fire shouting "Ravenclaw common room!" after it had turned green.

She stuck her head in, only to find out that the Ravenclaw common room was empty too. "Shane! Shane, please come back!" she yelled to no one.

After plenty of her same calls and losing even the last simmer of hope in her heart, a figure emerged from the stairs, that wasn't very well visible.

The person seemed to have frozen for a second, before it came running to the fireplace. "Selene? What are you doing here?" it was Shane.

"Shane! Please, come back!"

"Shush, Selene… go back, I'll be there" and after a second's hesitation in the Slytherin confines he stepped in to find a very distressed Selene.

She instantly ran into his arms and began weeping even louder. "I am sorry, Shane. Please, never leave me. I am sorry…" she blabbered from midst of the sobs.

Shane smiled through the worried creases on his face and rubbed her back. "You are alright, and I am not leaving you"

"Please, never!"

"Shhh, Selene… come here" he took her to the nearest couch. "Do you want me to stay here?"

"If you could? Please?" she sniffled.

"No problem" he said, but the Slytherin common room was grimmer than his taste.

He lied down on the couch and pulled Selene over himself. He wrapped his arms around her to ensure, she would stay in the place she is, while she rested her head on his chest breathing in his scent.

"I love you, Shane"

"I wouldn't doubt that for a second…"

"Still, I disappoint you time and again" the tears were back with it.

"No, you don't. Now, wipe those tears off and sleep" he ran his thumb on her reddened and chapped cheeks.

She closed her eyes but opened them again the moment she heard a grumble from her stomach. Surely, Shane had heard or felt that too because he chuckled.

"Here" he took out the other half of the chocolate part that was in his pocket. "Just half"

"Just half" she agreed and took it, savoring the desired flavor.

Shane cleared his throat. "I am sorry too"

Selene turned her eyes to him. "Why?"

"I-I believe I could read a little more about how to be a better partner"

"You already are" she dismissed it, taking another bite of the chocolate.

He chuckled. "I just hope" he yawned. "Complete that chocolate and sleep"

"Completed, Shane… What do you think I am? A sloth?" she rolled her eyes.

He smiled and laid her head gently on his chest. And once again, since the first he felt like perfect. He seemed perfect for the one he wanted while she for him.

Selene smacked him lightly, on the shoulder. "Stop thinking! You are making me anxious"

He laughed. "No need. Was just thinking how much I love you"

She stretched a little upwards to give him a kiss before again intertwining her toes with his.

Their breaths were soon even and their minds black, but a small stretch on the corner of their lips told that their last thoughts made them smile.